The field of the invention is hand tools and the invention relates more specifically to devices for permitting the use of such hand tools at an extended distance from the user.
Many hand tools such as electrical hedge trimmers are generally designed to be held directly by the user and used in the immediate proximity of the operator. If the operator wishes to trim a hedge which is above the height of the user's head, the typical procedure is to use a step ladder or other height extending device such as a cherry picker. The use of a step ladder adjacent to a hedge creates a safety hazard and devices such as cherry pickers are not available at reasonable cost for the average homeowner or professional gardener. With the increased use of shaped trees in landscaping, the need for trimming at a distance beyond the reach of the user has become more widespread.
The use of a step ladder, particularly when combined with a necessity to reach away from the step ladder while holding the trimmer, creates a substantial safety hazard. The ground under a hedge or tree is typically not level and in the case of a hedge there is nothing sturdy against which a ladder may be leaned.
In the past, various extension poles have been proposed which typically would be screwed on to the handle of the tool after which the tool would be plugged in and operated at a remote distance. Such tools, however, have not found widespread use for several reasons. A common drawback of such devices when used with electrically powered tools is that the electrical cord hangs down from the tool and becomes readily ensnarled in the branches. In the case of a hedge trimmer specifically, it is surprisingly easy for the cord to become tangled in the branches which are being trimmed and to actually trim through the electrical cord itself. Furthermore, most prior art devices have no ready means of turning the tool on and off which for most trimming operations is a highly desirable feature.
Another shortcoming of most prior art devices is the difficulty of attaching the tool to the device. A hedge trimmer will still largely be used without an extension device for most trimming operations and thus for the average weekend gardener, the extension pole will often be used for only one or two specific jobs which will most often be performed the same day that the trimmer is used without the extension pole. Thus, it is very important that the extension pole be easily connected and disconnected or otherwise will find very limited use.